The time has finally come! Meguiar’s new polishing system is out in the open and having been one of the lucky few to try and test the product in its early stages, I’d like to post a bit about my experience. Due to a small flood in my basement, I unfortunately lost all my photo/video documentation, so this article will be a text-only review of my experience with the new DA system from Meguiar’s.
The system
The system consists of two liquids and two pads. It’s as simple as it can get and I believe it’ll be a new go to product for many detailers out there. Personally, I’ve already adapted it into my M105, M205, 106ff, 85rd arsenal that I use on almost every detail. The system is very well done and works wonders at not only removing scratches but finishing down well and leaving protection on the paint. After testing it for a couple months, mostly comparing to M105/M205, on a few different paints, here are my thoughts on each of the liquid/pad combos as well as evaluations of the system as a whole.
Correcting Compound
The Correcting Compound with its corrective pad is, in short, amazing. There is absolutely no dusting with this compound and splatter is a thing of the past. It has a fairly long work time for such a compound and is very easy to use, compared to something like M105. The pad aids in the use as it’s very small compared to a regular foam pad and the microfiber is very easy to control, both on the Flex DA and a PC 7424XP. Comparing it again to M105, the Correcting Compound seemed to be a bit less aggressive, but coupled with the cutting microfiber pad it could easily match the correction M105 does with something like a Lake Country Orange pad. However, the fact that it’s so much easier to use, doesn’t dust and is much easier to remove, the new system really takes the cake. I have yet to do side by side testing on all the different pads, but the Correcting Compound so far looks like huge competition to M105 and is definitely a product I will use regularly.
Finishing Wax
The Finishing Wax is the perfect name for the second member of this polishing system. It’s exactly that… a wax that lightly corrects paint and leaves a great looking, protected finish. As with the Correcting Compound, it is simply a pleasure to use. Dust and splatter are non-existent and the lubricity of the product is plentiful. Work time isn’t as long as one would imagine after pouring the product and working with it, but it is very long indeed and does good correction along the way. It easily corrects the slight swirling left behind by the compound and finishes down really well. In comparison to M205, I would say the Finishing Wax has very similar work time and finishes down just as well. It also has just about the same cutting ability. As with the Correcting Compound, the Finishing Wax is easily one of my go-to products now, especially for one-step detailing work.
Pros
Some of the pros of the Meguiar’s DA Microfiber System:
- Extremely easy to use, even for a beginner such as my new detail assistant Dan, with only 5 hrs polishing under his belt
- Delivers on the promise of great correction and a nicely finished surface
- There’s really no dusting, splatter or any of the usual annoyances we get with polishes in general
- Work time is nice and long for both liquids, making them very easy to use
- Wiping off residue after polishing a surface is the easiest I’ve encountered so far
- The different pad sizes allow the user to easily adapt to odd areas, surfaces or tasks
- Small 3” pads work great for spot correction and headlight restoration
Cons
The only negative I have experienced is that the system is too aggressive for very soft paints. I own a BMW with jet black paint, aka paint from hell, and the Finishing Wax with its appropriate pad is simply too aggressive to finish down good enough to call it done. Whether used with the PC or Flex DA, it would always leave micromarring on the paint, making it a bit “cloudy”. This is easily fixed by using the Finishing Wax on a gentler finishing foam pad, so I was left wishing there was a third pad in the system, designed specifically to solve this issue. Can’t complain much though as the system definitely does what it sets out to do, offer great correcting ability on a DA polisher.
Conclusion
As you can easily tell, I’m extremely happy with the new system from Meguiar’s. I think they’ve once again out done themselves as they did with the introductions of M105/M205 a few years back. This new microfiber system will definitely find its way into most or all detailing shops, and, more importantly, into the hands of DIY enthusiasts’ with no rotary experience. It definitely helps to bridge the gap even more between DA polishing and the more aggressive, potentially dangerous, rotary polishing process. Of all the great things about this new system, I believe the ease of use is what will set it apart from any other competition and make it a favorite to many that have been waiting for some time now.
As always, I hope the article was a bit informative and thanks for reading!